Miguel Berry signs for Charleston Battery

Charleston Battery have announced the signing of former Atlanta United striker Miguel Berry ahead of the 2026 season, adding an experienced MLS striker to one of the USL Championship’s most established clubs.

Berry, 28, joins Charleston after a career defined by the search for a consistent starting role. After a decade-long journey that has taken him from a top-ten draft pick in Columbus to a title-winning roster in Los Angeles, Berry now enters the league on a permanent move, doing so as a free agent.

“What convinced me was really my conversations with Ben Pirmann. For the first time in my career, I was free to choose what club I wanted to play for, and I feel like his vision for the team caters to my strengths as a player and I have the utmost respect for what he’s accomplished with this club in the past. I’m beyond excited to truly showcase the player I’ve always been.” Miguel Berry, Charleston Battery

A Career of High-Leverage Moments

Born in Barcelona and raised in Southern California, Berry’s professional path has been one of tactical adaptation. After a standout collegiate tenure at the University of San Diego (38 goals in 72 appearances), he was selected seventh overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.

His breakout came with the Columbus Crew in 2021, where he scored eight goals and helped the club secure the Campeones Cup. However, maintaining that scoring clip proved difficult in subsequent stops. During his tenure with Atlanta United in 2023, Berry struggled for clinical form, managing just one goal in 27 appearances - a period that saw him shift primarily into a defensive pressing role off the bench.

With his move to the LA Galaxy in 2024, he settled into a depth role built around timing, positional awareness, and situational usage. While his raw goal count remained low, his timing was impeccable. Specifically, his 94th-minute stoppage-time equalizer against Real Salt Lake proved vital to preserving the Galaxy’s undefeated home record - a psychological foundation that propelled the club to its 2024 MLS Cup title.

Now, with 125 MLS appearances and two major trophies in his cabinet, Berry is seeking to trade situational minutes for the weekly responsibility of leading an attack.

A Target Man with Fluidity

Standing 6’3”, Berry brings the physical presence that has long defined Charleston’s successful history. But Head Coach Ben Pirmann - the architect of the Battery’s recent resurgence - doesn’t see a static target man. He sees a facilitator.

The Battery have evolved into one of the most flexible attacking units in the USL Championship. Under Ben Pirmann, the Battery have shifted toward a more flexible attacking structure that depends on a central reference point. That role becomes more important alongside pace-driven attackers like 18-year-old U.S. youth international Colton Swan, whose vertical movement benefits from a forward capable of occupying defenders and organizing space.

“Physically, he is gifted with size, strength and fluidity in his movements. … However, his best attributes are his technical skills and tactical awareness.” Battery Head Coach Ben Pirmann

Why Charleston?

The Battery occupy a unique space in American soccer. Founded in 1993, the club predates MLS itself and has survived by prioritizing stability. Playing at Patriots Point Soccer Complex - a venue known for its tight sightlines and vocal support - the club offers a European-style intimacy.

In Charleston, Berry shouldn’t be a depth option; he can be the centerpiece of a team pursuit for a fifth league star. The move brings him to the Lowcountry - the historic, coastal region of South Carolina where the club has deep roots. Berry is no stranger to this environment; he competed there during the 2022 Carolina Challenge Cup and noted the city’s beauty and the team’s competitiveness as key factors in his decision.

Berry arrives with a resume that includes the 2021 Campeones Cup and the 2024 MLS Cup. His role in LA’s undefeated home run last season proved his value as a clutch performer - the kind of veteran presence necessary for a Charleston team that finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference in 2025 and is hungry for silverware.

“I believe what the USL tries to create organically with the fans is irreplicable and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.” Miguel Berry, Charleston Battery

Berry’s clinical edge was first showcased in the USL during loan stints with San Diego Loyal SC (6 goals in 14 appearances). By returning to the league on a permanent deal, he is betting that Charleston is the place where he can finally marry his veteran experience with the goal-scoring form of his early career.